[RESOLVED] [VB6(windows 7) - richtextbox] - how show the scrollbars?

[joaquim]

how can i show the scrollbars on RichTextBox?
i'm trying use the scrollbar property, but it's ignored and give me an error on run-time:
"run-time error '383': the property is read-only"
strange... why these error message?

rtbCodeText.ScrollBars = rtfBoth

[RhinoBull]

Set it at design time.

[joaquim]

Set it at design time.

but isn't showed
i don't know if have to do with properties that i use for open VB6 in windows 7
i use it in usercontrol

[techgnome]

the RTB will only show the scroll bars if it has to... if there is no need to scroll, it hides them.

-tg

[joaquim]

the RTB will only show the scroll bars if it has to... if there is no need to scroll, it hides them.

-tg

see what i mean:

[Max187Boucher]

You'll have to pay me soon, I'll be waiting for my paycheck
The trick is the set the RightMargin wider then the width.

RichTextBox1.RightMargin = RichTextBox1.Width + 1000

Note:
I did put +1000, but you could put +100 or +10000, depending on what you need.
Also you could select the widest line (looping line by line) using Debug.Print Me.TextWidth(LineOfRichText)
Of course you would use a long variable instead of Debug.Print to keep the longest line, once you got the longest line then you could use

RichTextBox1.RightMargin = LONG_LongestLine

One more thing, make sure the richtextbox is not wider than the RightMargin!!!
I would simply set it at Form_Load like the first example I gave you (.width + 1000).

[joaquim]

You'll have to pay me soon, I'll be waiting for my paycheck
The trick is the set the RightMargin wider then the width.

RichTextBox1.RightMargin = RichTextBox1.Width + 1000

Note:
I did put +1000, but you could put +100 or +10000, depending on what you need.
Also you could select the widest line (looping line by line) using Debug.Print Me.TextWidth(LineOfRichText)
Of course you would use a long variable instead of Debug.Print to keep the longest line, once you got the longest line then you could use

RichTextBox1.RightMargin = LONG_LongestLine

One more thing, make sure the richtextbox is not wider than the RightMargin!!!
I would simply set it at Form_Load like the first example I gave you (.width + 1000).

sorry.. aren't showed
is because i'm using it in usercontrol?
because, in a form, i can see the vertical scrollbar... hey but don't show the horizontal scrollbar

[Max187Boucher]

It does work, but I guess you did not do any testing!

Here is a small hack

Private Sub Form_Load()
  With RichTextBox1
    .RightMargin = .Width + 10000
    
    Do Until TextWidth(.Text) > .RightMargin
      .Text = .Text & Space(1)
    Loop
    
    Do Until TextHeight(.Text) > .Height
      .Text = .Text & vbNewLine & Space(1)
    Loop
    
  End With
End Sub

Private Sub RichTextBox1_Change()
  With RichTextBox1
    .RightMargin = .Width + 10000
    
    Do Until TextWidth(.Text) > .RightMargin
      .Text = .Text & Space(1)
    Loop
    
    Do Until TextHeight(.Text) > .Height
      .Text = .Text & vbNewLine & Space(1)
    Loop
    
  End With
End Sub

[NRamakrishna]

Set design page scrollbar as Both

[joaquim]

please test it and see what i'm doing wrong
the vertical and horizontal scroolbars aren't showed

[RhinoBull]

It's fine - just make it large enough to see scrollbars when you place your user control onto the form.

[RhinoBull]

You may also want to consider coding UserControl_Resize() event to resize RTB/picture controls...

[joaquim]

You may also want to consider coding UserControl_Resize() event to resize RTB/picture controls...

if i understand: is write some text in vertical\horizontal for show the scrollbars, right?
i did that:
-in form the vertical is showed, but not horizontal
-in usercontrol no one is showed
see the post 5

[Max187Boucher]

You may also want to consider coding UserControl_Resize() event to resize RTB/picture controls...

Exactly, something like this would work.

Private Sub UserControl_Resize()
    With rtbCodeText
    .RightMargin = .Width + 10000
    
    Do Until TextWidth(.Text) > .RightMargin
      .Text = .Text & Space(1)
    Loop
    
    Do Until TextHeight(.Text) > .Height
      .Text = .Text & vbNewLine & Space(1)
    Loop
    
  End With
  
  With rtbCodeText
    .Move .Left, .Top, UserControl.Width - 540, UserControl.Height
  End With
End Sub

[joaquim]

Exactly, something like this would work.

Private Sub UserControl_Resize()
    With rtbCodeText
    .RightMargin = .Width + 10000
    
    Do Until TextWidth(.Text) > .RightMargin
      .Text = .Text & Space(1)
    Loop
    
    Do Until TextHeight(.Text) > .Height
      .Text = .Text & vbNewLine & Space(1)
    Loop
    
  End With
  
  With rtbCodeText
    .Move .Left, .Top, UserControl.Width - 540, UserControl.Height
  End With
End Sub

thanks.. now works.
but can you explain better what you did, please?

[joaquim]

if i understand: the RightMargin is for change the limit of horizontal characters\pixels
(and doing these, the vertical bar will show, depending of vertical chars)
(correct me if i'm wrong)

[Max187Boucher]

RightMargin is for change the limit of horizontal characters\pixels

Yes, it is the limit of space given to write text horizontally inside the control's TextArea.

[joaquim]

Yes, it is the limit of space given to write text horizontally inside the control's TextArea.

question: the vertical scrollbar only shows if the text is more big than richtextbox control. why the horizontal scrollbar don't works in same way?

[techgnome]

Is there a wordwrap property? If so, make sure it is set to false... it's been a long time since I've used the RTB in a VB6 environment, but I want to say that there is a property and it is set to True by default... see if that changes anything.

-tg

[joaquim]

Is there a wordwrap property? If so, make sure it is set to false... it's been a long time since I've used the RTB in a VB6 environment, but I want to say that there is a property and it is set to True by default... see if that changes anything.

-tg

the problem is that: there isn't. try see yourself
even the textbox don't have it, but when i put the scrollbars, works normaly
but i'm thinking, if RTB have the hwnd property, maybe there is an API function(or way) for that. but until now i found only with rightmargin property

[joaquim]

finally i found another way

Option Explicit

Private Const WM_USER = &H400

Private Const EM_SETTARGETDEVICE = (WM_USER + 72)
Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal _
hwnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long

Private Sub Form_Load()
    SendMessage RichTextBox1.hwnd, EM_SETTARGETDEVICE, 0, ByVal -1&
End Sub

i have tested and works fine(don't forget show the scrollbars).
so what is the diference between righmargin and these? seems these code desactivate the wordwrap property and the horizontal scrollbar is showed only after write some text.
but i have update the code:
module:

Private Const WM_USER = &H400

Private Const EM_SETTARGETDEVICE = (WM_USER + 72)
Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal _
hwnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long

Public Sub WordWrap(ControlHandle As Long, ActivateWordWrap As Boolean)
    If ActivateWordWrap = False Then
        SendMessage ControlHandle, EM_SETTARGETDEVICE, 0, ByVal -1&
    Else
        SendMessage ControlHandle, EM_SETTARGETDEVICE, 0, ByVal 0&
    End If
End Sub

how use it:

Private Sub Command1_Click()
    WordWrap RichTextBox1.hwnd, False
End Sub

these code works fine with RichTextBox control but these code, not tested with another controls, can be used with another controls
thanks for all

[Max187Boucher]

Nice joaquim, seems to do the trick!

[joaquim]

Nice joaquim, seems to do the trick!

sorry but i need ask something:
i understand that the SendMessage() do very things.. very. but can you give me a nice tutorial about all of SendMessage() funmction?

[Bonnie West]

sorry but i need ask something:
i understand that the SendMessage() do very things.. very. but can you give me a nice tutorial about all of SendMessage() funmction?

About Messages and Message Queues has everything you need to know about the messages that SendMessage sends. It also enumerates almost all of the available system messages.

[joaquim]

About Messages and Message Queues has everything you need to know about the messages that SendMessage sends. It also enumerates almost all of the available system messages.

sorry, but i never like how msdn explains.. realy...
can you give me another link, please?(don't be mad, but i never like how they explain. maybe the english is advanced for me or something)

[joaquim]

another important tip. by some reason, the richtextbox must be updated after change the WordWrap() (that's why you moved the control). so i change my sub:

Option Explicit

Private Const WM_USER = &H400

Private Const EM_SETTARGETDEVICE = (WM_USER + 72)
Private Declare Function SendMessage Lib "user32" Alias "SendMessageA" (ByVal _
hwnd As Long, ByVal wMsg As Long, ByVal wParam As Long, lParam As Any) As Long
Private Declare Function UpdateWindow Lib "user32" (ByVal hwnd As Long) As Long

Public Sub WordWrap(ControlHandle As Long, ActivateWordWrap As Boolean)
    If ActivateWordWrap = False Then
        SendMessage ControlHandle, EM_SETTARGETDEVICE, 0, ByVal -1&
    Else
        SendMessage ControlHandle, EM_SETTARGETDEVICE, 0, ByVal 0&
    End If
    UpdateWindow ControlHandle
End Sub

why i did these change? because in usercontrol wasn't working
but the move code give me the Update ideia and i used it and works
now, i have totally tested, works fine in forms and usercontrols.
i accept sugestions about these sub
thanks for all

[Bonnie West]

sorry, but i never like how msdn explains.. realy...
can you give me another link, please?(don't be mad, but i never like how they explain. maybe the english is advanced for me or something)

Well, MSDN is the official documentation for the Windows API, so any other API tutorial or guide ultimately derived from it. Anyway, you may find these tutorials easier to comprehend:

SendMessage API Tutorial

Enum Windows & SendMessage API

Sending Messages (scroll down to bottom)

[joaquim]

Well, MSDN is the official documentation for the Windows API, so any other API tutorial or guide ultimately derived from it. Anyway, you may find these tutorials easier to comprehend:

SendMessage API Tutorial

Enum Windows & SendMessage API

Sending Messages (scroll down to bottom)

thanks